1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the inventive concept relate to controlling a monitoring camera, and more particularly, to controlling a monitoring camera that performs panning, tilting, and zooming.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitoring cameras may perform panning, tilting, and zooming according to control commands from a control apparatus, such as a computer. When panning is performed, a monitoring camera horizontally rotates, and when tilting is performed, a monitoring camera vertically rotates.
In this regard, an apparatus, such as a computer, for controlling at least one monitoring camera has a user setting mode that may include a private mask setting mode, an interest region setting mode, and a monitoring path setting mode, for a user.
In a private mask setting mode, a user may set at least one region that the user does not want to display. Here, the at least one region is then masked in a uniform color without being displayed.
In an interest region setting mode, a user may set at least one region that the user wants to monitor intensively. Here, if a single monitoring camera is used, the at least one region may be enlarged, or if a plurality of monitoring cameras are used, a monitoring camera monitoring the at least one region may be fixed while other monitoring cameras perform panning and tilting.
In a monitoring path setting mode, a user may set panning and tilting paths of a monitoring camera. Here, the monitoring camera performs panning and tilting according to a monitoring path along regions sequentially assigned by the user.
Accordingly, in the above-described user setting modes, the user may have to designate at least one region for the user setting modes only while panning and tilting is performed.